Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1887-06-30
STRUCK BY A WHALE.
An Interesting Tale Related by the Mat
of q New Bedford Craft.


1t was on the I'd day of April, 1858,
and the hour was two O'Clock in the
afternoon, when the man on the look
out sighted whale. Observations
taken at high noon Of thst day showed
us to be due north of Juan Fernandez
1870 miles. Our ship was the Home
ward, of New Bedford, Captain Sam
uel Clayton, master, and we had been
out fourteen months and were in good
luck. The whale sighted on this after
noon was the first spout seen for three
days. He broke water within half a
mile Of the ship, remained on the sur
face for three or four minutes, and
then went down again amidst great
smother of foam. As he went down
he "lobtailed'' for moment, and by
this sign we knew that other whales
were in the vicinity. Lobtailing' is
when the big fish slaps the water right
and left with his fukes or tail, and
whalers have always contended that it
is signal to other whales to look out
for danger. The echo of his blows
came down to us from windward very
distinctly as we piled into the boats
and lowered away. There were three
boats of us, and mine not only got
away first but continued to lead, al
though l could hear the captain, who
was few yards behind me, calling to
his men:
IF you love me pull-break them
oars-twist the bottom out-pull your
selves overheard"
When we had pulled mile to wind
ward of the ship we rested on our oars
to wait for the whale to come up again,
and the boats spead out over consider
able water to watch. Whales always
feed or run to windward. 1t is but
rare that one will run away from the
wind in any emergency. We had gone
half a mile beyond his sounding, and
might look for him to come up any
where in our neighborhood He did
come, after time, leaping two-thirds Of
his length out of water and there was a
cry of establishment from every boat.
was in the whaling business for nine
teen years, and I'm telling you thai
was the biggest one / ever set eyes on
He was full one hundred feet long
and covered with barnacles. seaweed
and slime, and it was plain enough thai
we had discovered an old resident o.
the deep. He had hardly fallen bacl
into the water when the three boat
started for him. There would hav,
been harpoon into him if he ha(
taken time to dive or sound, but h,
played us trick. In some way which
naturalists have never been able to &C
count for, a whale can sink himsel
like ton of ballast. This fellow jus
went right out of sight in five seconds
leaving scarce ripple on the surfac
to prove that he had been in view
Some of the boats ran over the spo
before their Roadway was checked.
Well, it was spread out and wal
again. but in ten minutes he came u
between us and the ship, equidistani
His head was hardly out of waite
when we saw that he was in a rage
He began rolling and thrashing an
. slapping the water, and the boats ha
scarcely started for him when h
started for the ship. There was
groan of despair from every boat, fo
we knew by the way he held his hea
$ and the slap of his flukes that he NEAR
mischief. We pulled for our lives
hoping to overtake him, but the neal
est boat was quarter of mile b.
: hind him when he struck the HON,
+ ward at full tilt. We saw her he,
over as if she would 60 on her beal
d ends, and plainly heard the frightene
J cries of the men aboard. The wha
backed off after the blow, seemin
+ bent on striking another, but change
Il his mind after a moment and sunk OF
y of sight to be seen no more.
L The ship had received blow whic
e started the butts of dozen plank
l. and she was filling with water as "
;. reached her. We had less than twent
q minutes in which to provision Il
D boats before she sank out of sight ar
q we were alone on the ocean. She wei
l. down so easily, and the sea was
Re calm, that scarcely relic of her can
" to the surface. Nothing like a sail W,
1 in sight, and under the captains o
q ders we bore away for the island
II have mentioned. We should doubtle
n have made it safely enough, Il
e weather being fine, but just at dal
n were picked up by an English bark al
d carried into Valparaiso. Detroit Fr
l. Press.